"Who are you people!?"
"Why are you coming to the First Division at a time like this!?"
In the quiet of night within the First Division, a sudden shout rang out. Vice-Captain Chōjirō stared warily at several figures in white robes and masks.
Tonight, for some reason, he'd felt restless, so he came to patrol the First Division.
It had become a habit recently.
Because before this, Cole had come again and again to sneak bites out of the First Division's buildings, leaving the Captain-Commander with nowhere to live more than once, so angry he was nearly about to blow a gasket.
To prevent that from happening, Chōjirō simply started nightly patrols.
He hadn't expected it to actually pay off.
He was certain these bizarre, masked, white-robed figures had never appeared in Seireitei before.
And their aura was extremely strange.
Were they Menos from Hueco Mundo?
Or Aizen's subordinates?
Thinking about it carefully… those white robes really did resemble the Arrancar he'd seen before—like the Espada.
"This guy… that's some strong spiritual pressure!"
Eight white-robed figures stared coldly at Chōjirō.
They hadn't expected to run into a captain-class Shinigami the moment they arrived here.
But it didn't matter.
One of the white-robed figures stepped out from the group, staring at Chōjirō with feverish eyes as he said in a hoarse voice:
"Leave him to me. You all go on ahead!"
He truly hadn't expected that the instant he entered Soul Society, he'd run into a suspected captain-level combatant. What insane luck.
If he killed this guy, His Majesty Yhwach would definitely take notice of him.
Maybe even the Military Police's 587th Corps commander would look at him differently—might even toss him an olive branch.
It was just a question of who he should follow then.
Driscoll's eyes grew even more frenzied as he instinctively began manipulating the surrounding reishi.
"Come on, Shinigami. Release your Bankai!"
The other seven Quincy nodded indifferently. With Hirenkyaku (Flying Scythe Step), they vanished on the spot.
Seeing that footwork, Chōjirō froze for two seconds.
Then he saw the reishi manipulation around that Quincy—
His face changed drastically.
A memory from a thousand years ago surged up.
"You… you're Quincy… That's impossible! There are no Quincy left in the Human World. Where did you monsters come from!?"
As Soul Society's ancient enemy, he never dared underestimate this race.
But as the Quincy population in the Human World dwindled, he'd gradually lowered his guard, thinking the Quincy had fallen into decline.
Yet today, he'd run into one
no, eight powerful Quincy at once.
"Hahaha… Shinigami, why waste your breath? We came to wash away the humiliation from a thousand years ago."
Driscoll laughed loudly and fired a Heilig Pfeil (Sacred Extinguishing Arrow).
Chōjirō immediately drew Gonryōmaru and swung it like a Western sword, shouting:
"Pierce him, Gonryōmaru!"
The plain old katana instantly transformed into a rapier-like blade, thrusting toward the incoming arrow.
Boom!
With a thunderous blast, Chōjirō's expression changed again.
"Your strength… how is that possible…"
This sudden Quincy's arrow was not weaker than his.
Were there still Quincy in the Human World with power like this?
At the same time.
The seven Quincy strode straight into the First Division's captain's office—Yamamoto's workplace.
Seeing them, Yamamoto narrowed his eyes.
"Who are you?"
Though these seven were unknown and extremely strange, Yamamoto's heart didn't ripple in the slightest.
In his thousand years, he had seen far too much and faced far too many enemies.
This was nothing new.
"Long time no see, Genryūsai."
The leading white-robed figure looked at Yamamoto and spoke blandly.
"I didn't expect that after a thousand years, Seireitei's defenses would have grown this strong. Just this office alone—more than eighty Shinigami are patrolling."
As he spoke, a faint smile tugged at his tone.
"Old man, you've become weak."
"A thousand years…"
Yamamoto ignored the taunt completely, focusing only on the words "a thousand years."
As for why the office's defenses were so heavy—wasn't it all because of one certain reckless Human?
If they didn't keep watch…
The entire First Division would be eaten clean.
An enemy from a thousand years ago…
Could it be…
"Quincy!?"
Yamamoto stared at them, eyes narrowed.
No wonder these people felt so familiar.
It was the reishi manipulation around them.
Just then, Yamamoto's expression shifted slightly. From the distance, he heard a booming roar of thunder.
"Chōjirō…"
"..."
"Bankai!!!"
"Kōkō Gonryō Rikyū (Yellow Brilliance, Strict Spirit Detached Palace)!!!"
Chōjirō roared as he raised his zanpakuto, Gonryōmaru. Wild golden lightning crackled and surged.
All the spiritual pressure from the zanpakuto poured into the air, forcing electrons to gather into a massive golden spiritual pressure.
Dark clouds blanketed the sky, and an oval-shaped golden field of electricity appeared.
That electric light split into eleven streams.
Under the violent crushing of that pressure, Chōjirō swung his Bankai blade and said coldly:
"I never thought the Quincy, who already declined a thousand years ago—would still have someone like you. But this ends here."
His zanpakuto wasn't the strongest lightning-type zanpakuto.
But lightning-type zanpakuto were rare to begin with, and each one possessed terrifying attack power—enough to contend with Byakuya's Senbonzakura.
In his eyes, this arrogant Quincy was indeed strong.
But there was no way he could withstand Chōjirō's Bankai .
Yet what shocked Chōjirō was that after seeing his Bankai, the Quincy opposite him became even more excited than he was.
"Hahahaha! So this is a Shinigami's Bankai! Interesting, interesting—too interesting! Now it's mine! Thank you for your contribution! Hahahahaha…!"
Driscoll laughed arrogantly, then suddenly raised his right hand and pulled out a white-and-gold interwoven badge.
Before Chōjirō could react, his face twisted in disbelief as he stared at the golden spiritual pressure in the sky.
"No… what's happening!?"
The instant the badge appeared, he felt his control over his Bankai get severed.
Then, in horror, he watched the golden lightning across the heavens turn into flowing golden streams and pour into that badge.
At the same time, he could no longer sense his Bankai at all.
It was as if his zanpakuto had never possessed a Bankai option—vanished completely from within the blade.
"You bastard… you dare steal my Bankai…"
Chōjirō glared at Driscoll, face grim.
Before he could finish, Driscoll was already laughing as he drew his bow and fired another Heilig Pfeil (Sacred Extinguishing Arrow).
"Shinigami, quit talking. Die!"
A massive blue arrow streaked toward Chōjirō's chest like a blue meteor.
In that moment, Chōjirō's pupils shrank to the limit. He wanted to dodge
But realized he couldn't.
This enemy's strength didn't compare to him after Bankai.
But it was far stronger than him in Shikai.
That arrow
He couldn't evade it.
He couldn't block it.
He could only watch as the blue arrow shot toward his heart.
Death felt close enough to touch.
Even close enough to see.
A "life flashing before your eyes" moment?
Just as Chōjirō fell into despair, a roar suddenly came from extremely far away—black-red spiritual pressure surged in.
Boom!!!
The Heilig Pfeil (Sacred Extinguishing Arrow) exploded instantly.
A black-red torrent of spiritual power—like a laser, like divine punishment from a demon—bored a massive hollow into the earth. The aftershock blasted apart dozens of walls, carving a gigantic trench through the First Division.
Dust filled the air.
As the one who had narrowly missed that clash, Chōjirō's forehead was drenched in cold sweat.
Driscoll also nearly jumped out of his skin, staring toward the distance in terror.
With that level of destructive force, he felt that even after stealing Chōjirō's Bankai, he still wouldn't be able to withstand it.
Fortunately, the attacker had only acted to save someone
Not to kill him.
Under both of their gazes, atop the Repentance Palace in the far distance, a savage Hollow stood.
Its body was black and white, with long parallel horns and a hollow hole in its chest. Orange hair streamed behind it, and in its hand was a black zanpakuto.
It was Ichigo's horned Hollow form—the "bull-headed Hollow."
Chōjirō first jolted in shock, then snapped back to himself and said in delight:
"Ichigo!!"
He didn't know how Ichigo had gotten here, but there was no doubt
Ichigo had saved his life…
In that bull-headed Hollow form, Ichigo stared at Driscoll with violent intent and flashed forward, almost like teleportation.
The footwork he used was the Hollow's Sonído (Flash Step).
"Not good!"
Driscoll's face went pale. He instantly raised the star-shaped badge and shouted:
"Bankai!"
"Kōkō Gonryō Rikyū (Yellow Brilliance, Strict Spirit Detached Palace)!"
In Chōjirō's disbelieving gaze, that tiny badge erupted with astonishing spiritual pressure and lightning.
The Bankai that had vanished from him—
Appeared again.
But its owner had changed.
The golden lightning canopy crashed down from the sky.
Yet under that brutal baptism of golden thunder, Ichigo's figure moved like a phantom, charging forward through the lightning itself.
Even with lightning filling the heavens, not a single bolt could strike Ichigo.
"Impossible!"
Driscoll was stunned. Instinctively, he tried to cancel the Bankai and switch to his Complete Holy Form
But that required a brief moment.
Ichigo didn't give him that moment.
He appeared right in front of him and swung his blade coldly.
"Getsuga… Tenshō (Moon-Fang Heaven-Piercer)!!!"
A black Getsuga Tenshō (Moon-Fang Heaven-Piercer) erupted, cleaving straight into Driscoll.
"Aaaagh!!!"
Driscoll screamed in agony. His Blut Vene (Blut: Vein) defense—his greatest pride—failed to stop it at all.
Blood burst from his chest.
His body flew backward like a cannonball.
Inside the captain's office, the seven Quincy were speaking with Yamamoto.
Suddenly
With a booming crash, the wall exploded.
Driscoll's body smashed through it and slammed heavily into the opposite wall.
Yamamoto's pupils contracted.
"Quincy…"
"Don't panic."
The leading Quincy said calmly. He was just about to put on an air of superiority—when he sensed something was wrong, and sharply turned his head toward the newcomer.
Two seconds later, he ground his teeth and said:
...
(End of Chapter)
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